Conversion of biomass feedstocks into hydrocarbon liquid transportation fuels

• US 9,481,616 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Community Power Corporation
• Original Assignee: Community Power Corporation
• Inventors: Diebold, James P., Sherwood, Steve, Lilley, Arthur W., Walt, Robb R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BHAT, NINA NMN
• Application Number:
  US14/088,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20140161690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 481/277, 585/240, 422/626, 422/627, 422/633, 422/634
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/745 Iron
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 29/40 of the pentasil type, e.g. types ZSM-5, ZSM-8 or ZSM-11, as exemplified by patent documents US3702886, GB1334243 and US3709979, respectively
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/22 gas being introduced into the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/16 using catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 1/041 Reactors
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2/32 with the use of catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1014 of vegetal origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1022 Fischer-Tropsch products
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1092 C2-C4 olefins
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2400/02 Gasoline
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2400/04 Diesel oil
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2400/08 Jet fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2400/30 Aromatics
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 45/00 Refining of hydrocarbon oils using hydrogen or hydrogen-generating compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 47/16 Crystalline alumino-silicate carriers
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 65/12 including cracking steps and other hydrotreatment steps
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 69/04 including at least one step of catalytic cracking in the absence of hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0916 Biomass
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0956 Air or oxygen enriched air
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1659 to liquid hydrocarbons Fischer-Tropsch process C10G2/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/145 : the feedstock being materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/52 : using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/20 : using bio-feedstock

Abstract

Methods for converting a carbon-containing feedstock into a fluid transportation fuel are described. The methods may include converting the carbon-containing feedstock into a producer gas comprising H₂, CO, CO₂, and N₂, and reacting the producer gas with a substrate catalyst to produce a combination of Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) products, the F-T products including the fluid transportation fuel. A portion of the F-T products may be catalytically cracked to produce additional amounts of the fluid transportation fuel. A portion of the F-T products may also be hydrogenated to produce additional amounts of the fluid transportation fuel. Apparatuses are also described for converting a carbon-containing feedstock into a fluid transportation fuel. The apparatuses may include a producer gas reactor, a Fischer-Tropsch reactor, a cracking reactor, and a hydrogenation reactor.

Claims

1. An apparatus for converting a carbon-containing feedstock into a fluid transportation fuel, the apparatus comprising:

a producer gas reactor operable to convert the carbon-containing feedstock into a producer gas comprising H₂, CO, CO₂, and N₂; and

a Fischer-Tropsch reactor fluidly coupled to the producer gas reactor, wherein the Fischer-Tropsch reactor is operable to receive the producer gas comprising H₂, CO, CO₂, and N₂ and to convert a portion of the producer gas into a combination of Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) products, the F-T products including the fluid transportation fuel;

a cracking reactor fluidly coupled to the Fischer-Tropsch reactor, wherein the cracking reactor is operable to catalytically crack a portion of the F-T products to produce additional amounts of the fluid transportation fuel; and

a hydrogenation reactor fluidly coupled to the cracking reactor, wherein the hydrogenation reactor is operable to hydrogenate a portion of the F-T products to produce additional amounts of the fluid transportation fuel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the producer gas reactor is a biomass gasification reactor operable to convert biomass and air into the producer gas.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the biomass is selected from the group consisting of woody biomass, non-woody biomass, a cellulosic product, cardboard, fiber board, paper, plastic, and a food stuff.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Fischer-Tropsch reactor comprises a cylindrical tube filled with a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst, wherein the tube has a diameter ranging from about 2 inches to about 3.5 inches.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Fischer-Tropsch reactor comprises a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst comprising iron.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Fischer-Tropsch reactor comprises as Fischer-Tropsch catalyst operable to catalyze a water-gas-shift reaction between H₂O and CO to produce H₂ and CO₂.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cracking reactor comprises a cracking catalyst comprising a zeolite that can catalytically crack waxes and aromatize light olefins.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the zeolite comprises a ZSM-5 zeolite.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hydrogenation reactor comprises a hydrogenation catalyst comprising palladium.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the hydrogenation catalyst comprises palladium on alumina.